How To Lock Apps on iPhone?

Privacy is a major concern for almost everyone, especially regarding their smartphones, laptops, and other devices that consist of sensitive data for every individual. You would definitely wish to keep the information and data secured from prying eyes. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to do that, even on your smartphone.

Irrespective of the device you are using, you can find a couple of methods to hide sensitive information and also keep some apps locked away while keeping the access exclusive to yourself. Today, we are going to look at some of these methods that are designed to keep the apps safe and secure on iPhones.

Locking the apps on your iPhone can be very beneficial. First of all, only you will be able to access the applications which eliminates the possibility of data theft or leak. Furthermore, it can be a great parenting tool if your children are developing an addiction to certain social media applications. You can keep the applications locked or allow limited-time access to make sure that your child maintains a healthy smartphone habit.

As you may already know, iOS is one of the most popular mobile operating systems in the world right now. With tonnes of great features coupled with an optimized user experience, iOS certainly gives the best performance suitable for its class. If you wish to find out how to lock apps on your iPhone, consider reading our guide until the end.

Also Check: Forgot The Apple Watch Passcode

Easy method to Lock Your Apps on iPhone

Method #1: Use The Built-in Restriction Feature

Apple offers a built-in security feature called “Restrictions” which allows you to lock the installed apps and reserve access to yourself. As this is a built-in feature, you won’t have to use any 3rd party app which makes the task much easier. The Restrictions feature also lets you select a passcode which you can select to keep the access secured and personal.

Here’s how you can use the Restriction feature on iOS to lock apps:

• Open the “Settings” on your iPhone or iPad and head over to the “General” section.
• In here, you will find the “Restriction” section.
• Click on the “restrictions” to proceed. If the service is disabled, iOS will ask you to generate a passcode before you can enable it.
• Create a memorable passcode and turn the feature ON.
• However, if the feature is already turned on, you will have to enter the previously generated passcode to make any changes.
• Once you have set up a memorable passcode, you will see a list of all installed applications on your device.
• Simply manage the application which you wish to lock from the list provided here.
• You will also find a separate section for content restriction. From here, you can manage the allowed content rating and type for all installed applications.

Method #2: Use The Guided Access Option

Similar to the Restrictions option, iOS also has a built-in feature called “Guided Access” that lets you lock the applications without needing any 3rd party app. The guided access feature was first unveiled with the iOS v6 and it can restrict the device usage completely with just a simple configuration. The “Guided Access” feature is probably the best option for parental control as it allows complete disengagement from the smartphone when using a single app.

Here’s how you can use the Guided Access feature to lock apps on an iPhone:

• Head over to your iPhone’s settings. Now, open the “General” section and find a section called “Accessibility” in this menu.
• As you can expect, the “Accessibility” section offers various settings regarding the security and usage of your iPhone.
• On the “Accessibility” page, you will find the “Guided Access” option under the “Learning” section.
• Once you open that, iOS will ask you to enable this feature before you can set up the parameters.
• Click on the button to the right of this feature to enable it.
• Now, a couple of new options will appear as soon as you enable the “Guided Access” feature.
• The first thing that you would want to do is set up a passcode to change the “Guided Access” feature.
• To do that, simply click on the “Passcode Settings” option and generate a passcode.
• This passcode acts as the key for unlocking the access that you will be locking using the “Guided Access” feature.
• Once you have set up the passcode, exit the settings.
• After that, you are ready to use the Guided Access feature. To do that, simply tap the Home button 3 times, and guided access mode will be activated.
• Once it is activated, smartphone users will be restricted to this single application.
• In order to remove guided access, the home button 3 times again and enter the passcode.
• This way, you can lend your smartphone to a friend or your child without worrying about open access to other apps and data apart from the one that is active on the screen.

Method #3: Use App Locker on iPhone and iPad

While there are a handful of built-in features available on the iPhone that let you lock the apps, a lot of users prefer using a 3rd party application to lock the apps. The 3rd party apps like App Locker are specifically designed to serve a single purpose, which is restricting access to apps. Thus, you will find a couple of helpful features and additional options which make the process even more convenient and helpful for the user.

However, there is a catch for using 3rd party applications on an iPhone. Unlike Android, iOS has a very secured ecosystem, and using a 3rd party application will require you to jailbreak your device. As you may already know, jailbreaking your iPhone is certainly not an ideal solution regarding the safety and security of your data.

On the other hand, App Locker allows a very thorough restriction that is not limited to apps. You will be able to limit the access for certain folders, settings, and accessibility options. With that in mind, if you already have a jailbroken iPhone, you can try the App Locker software and see if that fulfills your requirements.

Here’s how you can use the App Locker application on iOS to lock apps:

• Before you decide to install App Locker on your iPhone, make sure that it is jailbroken and running on the iOS above v6 and below v10.
• If your iPhone satisfies these conditions, download the App Locker software from the following link.
  https://www.cydiasources.net/applocker
• Install the application on your iPhone. Now, it shall appeal in the default settings section of your device.
• To access the App Locker features, head over to the Settings of your iPhone and look for “AppLocker”.
• The first thing that you would want to do here is turn on the feature. Do that by tapping on the first option that appears on this page.
• Now, you will be able to set up a passcode so that only you can change the settings and parameters of the application.
• Once you have set up a secured passcode, make sure you also create a reset password phrase. As the name suggests, you will be needing this phrase in case you forget your passcode.
• Now that you are done with the basic setup, you can start using the features of App Locker.
• You will find the “Application Locking” option in this section that lets you lock specific applications that can only be accessed by using a passcode.
• Other than that there is also a folder locking to restrict access to a particular folder on your device.

Method #4: Use BioProtect To Lock Apps

BioProtect is also a 3rd party application that is quite similar to the App Locker. BioProtect also requires your iPhone to be jailbroken, just like any other 3rd party app. And just like App Locker, BioProtect also allows you to lock installed applications, smartphone features, and settings. But, there are some advanced options available on BioProtect that lets you restrict the access even further. For example, you will be able to lock SIM settings on your iPhone and link the access to your Touch ID.

TouchID is one of the most secure access methods for a smartphone as it is impossible for someone else to have the same fingerprint as you. Using the TouchID as an access method allows you to quickly access the locked feature and saves you from the trouble of entering the passcode hundreds of times every day. However, you can still use BioProtect with a passcode if your device does not have the TouchID feature.

• Before you decide to try the BioProtect application, make sure that your iPhone is properly jailbroken and you are able to install 3rd party applications.
• After that, simply download and install the BioProtect application from the link provided here:
  https://cydia.saurik.com/package/net.limneos.bioprotect/
• After installing the application, the BioProtect features will be available on the settings page of your iPhone.
• By default, the BioProtect app requires TouchID verification to allow access to the application settings.
• Once you verify your TouchID, you will be able to enter the BioProtect settings.
• The first thing that you would want to do here is turn on the first 2 options.
• After that, scroll down to get to the “Protected Applications” section. As you can guess, you can select the apps from this list that you want to protect via the app.
• Once you have selected all the applications that you wish to lock, exis the BioProtect setting.
• Now, every time you launch the application, BioProtect will require a quick TouchID scan before allowing access. This makes the access exclusive for the user whose TouchID is registered with the iPhone.

Method #5: Protect All Apps on iPhone or iPad With a Passcode

If you wish to block all applications at once and avoid going through the hassle of selecting multiple apps one by one or using a 3rd party, you should try the Screen Time feature on your iPhone. As this is a built-in feature of iOS, there are no risks involved in using the feature. And the best part is, it allows you to lock all apps and programs on your iPhone at once via a passcode that makes things even easier.

Here’s how to use the Screen Time feature to lock all Apps on iPhones at once with a passcode:

• Open the “Settings” on your iPhone. The “Screen Time” option is available right below the connectivity options.
• Tap on the “Screen Time” option to access this feature.
• Once you are in, select the “App Limits” option.
• Here, you can limit the usage for a selection of apps, or all installed apps.
• Click on the “Add Limit” link available at the bottom of the screen.
• Your smartphone will now ask for your passcode for Screen Time to confirm the action.
• Once you enter the correct passcode, simply click on the “All Apps and Categories” option on the top. This will select all installed programs on your iPhone.
• Click on the “Next” option on the top-right area of your screen once all apps are selected.
• Now, Screen Time will ask you to enter a time limit. Choose the desired time limit in hours and minutes and click on “Add” to confirm. Make sure you enable the “Block at End of Limit” option before you proceed.
• Once you click on “Add”, all your apps and programs will be protected by the Screen Time passcode.

Method #6: Use mSpy To Lock Apps Without Any Password

Finally, we will go through a solution that does not even require you to use a passcode to lock your apps. In this solution, we will go through a popular iOS application called “mSpy” which is designed for parental controls and allows you to lock apps on your iPhone.

Apart from the access restriction, mSpy comes with a majority of great features that are best suited for parental controls such as Geo-tracking, communication monitoring, and many others. Here’s how you can install and use mSpy on an iPhone.

• First of all, you will have to register with a mSpy account. You can do that by visiting the following link:
  https://my.mspyonline.com/login
• Once you have set up an account, download the mSpy Lite app on your iPhone. You can directly download the application from Apple App Store.
• After you download and install the application, launch it and log in via your account credentials.
• Now, you will find the necessary instructions within the app that will allow you to link a device via mSpy service.
• Once the mobile phone is linked to the mSpy service, simply open the https://www.mspy.com/ website on your browser and log in with the same account.
• On the top left section of the website, you will be able to see the smartphone that you have previously linked with the service.
• From here, you can block applications, check browser history, restrict WiFI or websites, and much more.

Conclusion

We hope that one of our solutions mentioned here was the one best suited for your needs. As we have mentioned both 1st party and 3rd party solutions, you will definitely find the perfect option that allows you to lock apps on your iPhone. If you are not sure about a particular solution mentioned here, or are not able to set it up properly, you can reach us via the comment section.